Historically known as Persia Persia derived from ancient Greek
name for Iran, Persis Name comes from a region in southern Iran
called Pars 1935, the Shah, Reza Shah Pahlavi, asked for the
country to be called by its native name Iran means Land of the
Aryans
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Known as the Islamic Republic of Iran since 1979 o Tehran is
the capital of Iran The economy is heavily energy based, with oil
exports comprising 85% of all export revenues and up to 70% of
government income. o Worlds second largest oil producer behind
Saudi Arabia o Worlds second largest natural gas producer behind
Russia
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Has maintained its own distinct cultural identity in the
Islamic world o Most of the population are not descendants of Arabs
o Own languagePersian (called Farsi) o Abides by the Shia
interpretation of Islam Believe that Mohammads son-in-law Ali and
his son Hussein are the rightful heirs of Mohammad. Believe that
the Koran and the Prophets intentions may be interpreted by special
clerics who derive their legitimacy from divine appointment,
lifelong study, and prayer. Ayatollahs represent the most elite of
these clerics.
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Being a Muslim country, women suffer legal and cultural
discrimination, but differ in treatment from the women in other
Muslim countries 94% of all Iranian women attend school and 60% of
college graduates are women Segregation of the sexes from
educational institutions is still widely practiced
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Some Iranian women who are Muslim wear the chador. o The chador
is the black, full-body covering. o It satisfies the requirements
of a strict interpretation of hajib or Islamic dress where a womans
hair and skin must be concealed in public, with the exception of
her hands and face. Others adhere to a minimalist version of hajib,
covering only their hair with veils of different color and
lengths
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Despite their education and relatively good health, women in
Iran experience significant discrimination in employment. o
Husbands can prevent wives from working o Cannot hold public office
above the municipal level and traditionally earn less than their
male counterparts in similar jobs. o Only 15% of women are in the
working population despite the high rate of them being
educated
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Iranian women also face discrimination in family matters. Not
only can women be compelled into marriage at age 13, but they also
have few rights in the areas of divorce, custody, and inheritance.
Domestic violence generally goes unpunished. A womans testimony in
court is technically worth just half of a mans, and a woman may
still be stoned for adultery. Women cannot obtain a passport
without the permission of a husband or male relative.
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Taarof is a system of politeness that includes both verbal and
non-verbal communication. o It stems from the cultural obligation
to put others, especially guests, if not above all else, at least
before oneself. o it is of utmost importance to make the guests
feel welcomed. Drastic measures are taken to ensure company's
comfort: Saving the best room in the house, delicacies, the most
ornate dishes and even fancy beddings for that accidental guest. o
For the sake of Ta'arof, a lie is no longer considered a sin when
hospitality is the intention. In fact, when an Iranian offers
something, they may assure the guest by adding, 'Honestly, I'm not
Ta'arofing!' which insinuates that there is some dishonesty in
ta'arof?
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Mohammad Reza Pahlavi came to power during WWII after an
Anglo-Soviet invasion forced the abdication of his father Reza
Shah. After WWII, United States took over Britains role as leading
foreign player in Iranian politics.
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Muhammad Mossadeq became Prime Minister in 1951. Nationalized
the foreign oil companies. Got rid of corrupt military officials.
Instills distrust and animosity toward Americans (and the west) Was
toppled in a coup aided by the America CIA in 1953. The Shah of
Iran returns to power and the oil once again flowed westward
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Im backkk
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In 1963, the Shah attempted to modernize Iran by promoting some
democratic and social reforms that became known as The White
Revolution. Womens rights- right to vote, more freedom in divorce,
and allowed to wear Western attire. Education- more modern and
secular Land- took some of the clergys land holdings The above
reforms and undermined the religious leaders authority and were
greatly criticized by them.
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The United States helped the Shah establish a brutal secret
security force (SAVAK) that employed torture and murder to any
opponents Because of the United States involvement with the SAVAK
and the Shah, a wave of anti- Americanism spread throughout Iran.
The clerics exploited the situation, rallying support from the poor
on religious grounds and the wealthy land owners and merchants for
financial reasons
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The Shah had a number of clerics arrested, while a number of
them fled including the Ayatollah Khomeini. Fled to Iraq and
remained there until You looking at me?
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In the late 1970s, the Shah became extremely unpopular in his
own kingdom. Reforms did very little to help the poor. In September
1978, The Shah instituted martial law because of the widespread
unrest in the country. Recession and inflation plaguing the
country. SAVAK continued to repress dissidents Shah was fighting a
losing bout with lymphatic cancer and was not focused on resolving
the issues
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Ayatollah Khomeini (in exile) seized the moment to convince
Iranians that all the nations ill could be traced to sources The
Shahs secular practices and policies Influence of the Great Satan (
the United States) Khomeinis solution was to kick the Shah to the
curb and give him the power The Shah knew his days were numbered,
so he boarded a plane with his wife and never returned home.
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With the Shah gone, Khomeini flew home to Tehran to throngs of
adoring fans. He announced that he would establish the Islamic
Republic of Iran First truly Islamic state in modern history
Reinstitute pure Islam as it was in the golden days of the Prophet
Muhammad
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Im a ROCK STAR!!! Wait! I hate the West! Im a ROCK STAR!!!
Wait! I hate the West!
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Khomeini set up a theocracy (a government ruled by or subject
to religious authority) Stated that the rest of the regimes in the
Muslim world were corrupt because of their relations with the Great
Satan He established this Islamic state by rigid enforcement of
Irans Shiite version of Sharia (Islamic law)
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The following measures were implemented: Purged Iran of all
un-Islamic influences ( ex. Banking- interest is forbidden) Purged
Iran of all Western influences ( ex. Prohibited music and dancing)
Enforced the revolutions new Islamic regulations (streets policed
to watch for cultural violations) Persecuted all non-Muslims and
secular nationalists Imposed strict regulations on women including
the mandatory use of the veil and covered from head to toe For
Westerners, he earned the reputation as an evil Islamic madman that
wouldnt be matched until Osama bin Laden
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Khomeinis regime wanted to put the Shah on trial. In November
1979, President Jimmy Carter invited the Shah to New York for
medical attention. With Khomeinis blessing a group of approximately
500 students demonstrated outside the U.S. embassy in Tehran and
demanded that the U.S. extradite The Shah. Carter refused and the
rest is history.
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Your are a CIA agent and your job today is going to examine
primary source documents from throughout the crisis in an attempt
to reconstruct the event. In essence you will be working backwards,
trying to decipher what documents are more important than others as
you construct a debriefing of the event.